Tire-armor



R. A. CHAMPION.

TIRE ARMOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-2. I918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. A. CHAMPION.

TIRE ARMOR. APPLICATlON FILED 0:0. 2'; 191a.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROADY A. CHAMPION, OF DENISON, IOWA.

TIRE-ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed December 2, 1918. Serial No. 265,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROADY A. CHAMPION, citizen of the United States, residing at Denison, in the county of Crawford and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Tire-Armor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved tire armor and has as, its-primary object to pro vide a device of this character which may be readily applied to substantially any conventional type of motor vehicle tire for effectually protecting the tire against wear or abrasio 4 The invention has as a further obJect to provide an armor so constructed that when applied, anti-skid calks may be connected to the armor for preventing slipping or skidding.

The invention has as a still further object to provide an armor employing anouter shoe adapted to encircle the tire and where in resilient clamping members will be employed for engagement with the tire to firmly connect the shoe therewith.

' and the invention has as a still further object to provide a construction wherein the shoe will be supported in spaced relation to the outer surface of the tire so as to permit of the escape of dirtor other foreign matter from the tire.

Other and incidental objects will appear during thecourse of the detailed description of the invention. In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar refshoe and prevent grinding of the erence characters designate corresponding tionalview manner lliWhlCll the shoe of the armor'ls parts throughout the several views: I Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved armor in connection with a conventional type of vehicle wheel and tire,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view particularly showing the construction andmounting of the attaching clamps of the device,

Fig.3 is a fragmentary transverse secarticularly illustrating the supported in spaced relation to the outer surface 'of' the tire,

,Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view hshowmg the spacing blocks carried by the shoe for supporting the attaching clamps upon the shoe,

Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5- 5 of Fig". 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, this view showing the type of connection employed bctlweenthe ends of the sections of the shoe, i1 a Fig. is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the screw plugs employed for closing the anti-skid calk sockets in the shoe when the calks are displaced.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I haveshown my improved tire armor in connection with a conventional type of motor vehicle wheel 10 upon which is mounted a pneumatic tire 11 of ordinary construction. Incarrying the invention into effect I employ an armor shoe 12 adapted,

as particularlyshown in Fig. 1, to encircle the tire 11. This. armor shoe is preferably formed of mating substantially semi-circular sections provided .at their ends with lapped joints 13. Removably fitted through opposite sides of one of the sections at these Joints, 1n the manner shown in detail in Fig.

,5, are short bolts 14 .-which project through suitable slots 15in the ends of the other section and at their outer terminals receive nuts' 16 so that the bolts thus slidably and detachably connect the sections. Movement of one section relative to the other will be permitted, incident to flexing movement of the tire. The sections of the shoe are rigid and are, preferably formed of suitable metal,

the said sections being substantially concavo convex to'fit around the tread of the tire extending well down over the sides thereof. 'At their side margins, the sections brought out in Fig. 3, while the intermediate portions of the sections are thickened so as to present-a strong and vdurable tread surface at the tread of the shoe.

Mounted within eachof the shoe sections is a series of clamping members 17. These clamping members are each preferably formedfrom a strip of suitable resilient sheet metaland are supported upon the are preferably feathered, as particularly,

noted, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, that the blocks 18 support the clamping members is a resilient by displacing spaced throughout their length from the I inner faces of the shoe sections and connecting the serles are disposed midway of the ends of the mem,-' bers at the inner sides rigidly connected with the members by -a plurality of rivets or other suitablezfastening devices 11, the tie strips encircling the tire at -its tread .so as to provide'av continuous bearlng At their ends, the tie well beyond the spacing blocks "18, radially inward with respect to the shoe and the end portions of these members are thus free to resiliently engage around' the sidesof the tire for firmly clamping the shoe thereto.

The shoe will thus be effectually held against lateral displacement while, at the same time, the bolts 14, the shoe sections. removed. Furthermore, at-'.

may be readily tention is directed to the fact, as also-shown in Fig. 3, thatthe clamping members will support the shoe in spaced relation to the outer face'of the tire. Consequently, dirt or other foreign matter gathered up'by the shoe may escape ing of the oausEwill be eliminated. Furthermore, rubbing of the surface of .thetire by the shoewill also be eliminated;

Removably connected to opposite sides of one of the sections of the shoe, preferably adjacent one end ofsaid section, are bolts 22 and engaged at its ends with these bolts. is a chain 23 which, as

tends around the felly of the wheel 10. This armor shoe arcuate in cross section, arcuate tire engaging membersyfitted within the shoe than the cross sectional means projecting from- 115 portions of the memshown in Fig. 1, ex-

chain will not onlyprevent accidental loss of the shoe in case of injury to the wheel bllllt will also prevent possible creeping of the s 0e. I i

In order to overcome slipping or'skidding, I provide anti-skid calks 24 in connection withthe shoe. These calks are arranged at suitable circumferentially spaced" points about the tread of the shoe' v and are provided with shanks 25 threaded into suitable sockets or openin'gsin said tread. When it is not desired to use the calks screw plugs 26 are, as shown in of members upon each section 7 tie strip 20; These tie strips thereof to extend cir-. cumferentially of the shoe sections and. are

21 Thus, it will. beseen that the clamping members upon each section of the shoe will be rigidly supported with :re- 3 spect to each other tosnuglyfiaas shown in Fig. 3, around the outer surface of the tire being adapted to connecting therefrom so that grindsurface of the tire from this radius of the shoe,

Fig. 6, provided for clos-. ing the calk sockets.

It will, therefore, be seen that 'I provide a particularly efiective construction for the purpose set forth and a tire armor which will not only protect the tire against wear but will also, when passing {over rough roadways, protect the .tire against 1 abrasion'while, at the same time, skidding may be easily avoided "by'employing the antiskid calks provided.

The shoe and course,

attaching my or I 'clampswill, of be constructed to fit practically all.

sizes andshapes of automobile tires so as to a adii pt the device for general use.

is claimed as'new is: v

1. tire armor mcludlngan armor shoe, spacer blocks carrledthereby, and arcuate clamping members supported by said blocks.

adapted to engage. around a "tire for ported in spaced relation to said connecting tread portion of the tire.

'3. A tire armor including" an annular round a tire spaced from the outer face of the tire.

aving thus described the invention, what I '80 spaced from the inner face ofthe shoe and cone. Y

. necting the shoe therewith. a

I 2. A tire armor including an armor shoe, spaced clamping members fittedwithin thev shoe to extend transversely thereof and supp the inner, face "of the shoe, and means connecting the inter 1 mediate portions of said clamp with each other, the clamping members engage around a tire:- for the shoe therewith 'andholding ing members."

means to cont act' withthe J armor shoe, resilient tire engaging members f face of said shoe whereshoe to sur- 4. A' tire armor including an annular armor shoe, resilient tire engaglng members fitted therein, spacing said members fromthe shoe whereby means carried by the shoe and p the members will support the shoe to surround a tire spaced from the outer face of v the tire, and means connecting'the members with said first mentioned means.

5.-A tire armor including --an annular and of less radius the side margins of. the shoe and support-x ingthe intermediate bers spacedfrom the inner face of the shoe,

means extending through the members and said firstmentioned means and connecting the members with the. shoe, and means secured to" and connectmg the intermediate portionsof said members with each;other'.--- In testimony whereof I affix my signature-.-

I ROADY A. CHAMPION. 

